Activision Shunning Female Lead Characters?

August 5, 2010Written by Paulmichael Contreras

Ever heard the phrase “sex sells?” According to some people in the industry, Activision does not (or at least, did not) feel the same way, and apparently male lead characters in video games sell much better.

According to Gamasutra, Activision rejected the original concept of a game starring a female lead character in 2007. Seeing top-selling games such as Modern Warfare, Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed and Madden, when approached with a game codenamed “Black Lotus” starring a female, Activision apparently “killed [the project], said they don’t do female characters because they don’t sell.” This project later went on to become True Crime: Hong Kong. Activision has of course denied these allegations, but considering none of Activision’s franchises have included a female lead character since 2005 besides licenses such as Dora the Explorer and Barbie, that would leave many to skepticism.